Mechanized seed distributor



1952 H. J. BALDWIN ETAL 2,584,322

MECHANIZED SEED DISTRIBUTOR Filed Dec. 2,,19'48 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 anaemia s 1952 H. J. BALDWIN ETAL 2,584,322

MECHANIZED SEED DISTRIBUTOR.

Filed Dec. 2, 1948 $Sheets-Sheei; 5

xx wwm mwq QTTOIQNESJS Patented Feb. 5, 1952 I MECHANIZED SEED DISTRIBUTOR Henry J. Baldwin, Arthur N. Baldwin, and Tetsuo Mihara, Paia, Territory of Hawaii, assignors to Maui Pineapple Company, Ltd., Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, a corporation of Hawaii Application December z, 1948, Serial No. 63,082

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for gathering and distributing pineapple* planting material.

According to conventional practice, planting material for pineapples consists of the gathering of slips or shoots from the growing plants; and, in accordance therewith, this is accomplished by the slips or shoots being out, then collected or placed into bags which are carried to the edge of the field, and thereafter the bags are loaded onto trucks and taken to the field to be planted, the bags being carried manually to various portions of the field and the planting material in such bags then being scattered for the use of the planting crew.

It is quite apparent that such conventional practice requires a relatively large number of persons, time and repeated handlings.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for gathering and distributing planting material for the growth of pineapples characterized by their efficiency, simplicity, and the relatively small number of man-hours required to accomplish the intended purpose.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for the purpose indicated, characterized by the fact that the mechanism for distributing the planting material may work in conjunction with a plurality of vehicles from and onto which the planting material is conveyed.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for the purpose indicated, characterized by the fact that the apparatus in distributing the planting material may travel along the same path twice and yet service difierent planting areas in its repeated movement along such path.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for the purpose indicated, characterized by its simplicity and ruggedness and ease of adjustment for travel over fields and over highways.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved planting material distributing system which is capable of using and operating in conjunction with component parts of the mechanized pineapple harvesting arrangement shown and described in the co-pending application of Bainbridge, et al., Serial No. 656,192, filed-March 22, 1946, and now Patent No. 2,576,991 granted December 4, 1951, to thereby avoid duplication and effect a reduction in the number of component parts required in mechanized pineapple harvesting and planting systems.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. This invention itself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a perspective view showin some of the apparatus embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of a portion of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 and associated truck coupled thereto in operative relationship with the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged elevation view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view in front elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 1, and

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the manner in which the apparatus embodying the present invention may twice move over the same path and yet service different ground areas.

Figure 7 is a top plan view taken in the general direction indicated by the arrows 'l! in Figure 1, with a portion of the apparatus thereof removed to illustrate a manner in which mechanical coupling of the two conveyor belts may be efiected.

In accordance with the present invention, after the slips and shoots have been selected, they are loaded onto the vehicle ll, preferably, by using the harvestting apparatus described and claimed in the above-mentioned patent application, Serial Number 656,192 In such case, such harvesting apparatus passes through the field after the planting material, comprising such soots and slips, has been selected and such planting material is thrown onto the conveyor belton such harvesting machine and loaded onto the truck ll coupled thereto, the same as is done with the picked pineapple during the harvesting season.

The truck thus loaded, is driven to the planting field and releasably coupled by coupling 8 to the planting material distributor It in the manner shown in Figure 2, such coupling 9 comprising a chain 8 permanently linked at one end thereof to an eye I on the end of the truck pushing arm |8 mounted on the distributor ID with the other end of the chain 8 releasably attached to the hook 6 mounted on the truck H and normally retained in such hook G by the pivoted keeper 5. The truck II is thus normally pushed to the right, in Figure 2, through this coupling 8.

The truck II, in this condition, is normally out of gear and its engine used to operate the floor or bed of the truck comprising an endless belt 20 upon which the planting material is disposed.

The mechanism for driving such endless belt 20 over the supporting rotatable rollers 20A, 20B, mounted on the chassis of the truck, may, as'is well understood by those skilled in the art, be of conventional structure so that a detailed description of the same is not considered necessary here.

Upon movement of the endless belt 2|] in the direction indicated by the arrow 260, the planting material thereon falls onto the inclined loading platform 20E, pivotally mounted on the truck H, and then onto the loading platforms I6, I! on the distributor I0. The inclined platform 20E serves as a tail gate for the truck II when in transit and rests, when the truck is coupled to the distributor, against the upper edges of the upwardly inclined trough members IBA, IIA. These trough members |6A and HA thus cooperate with the horizontally disposed loading platforms l6, II to form a receiving chute through which the rod l8 passes.

Planting material, thus loaded into such receiving chute and resting on the loadin platforms I6, H, is carried outwardly therefrom by the two oppositely traveling endless conveyor belts l2, l3. An important feature of the resent invention is that the efiective length of the belt I! is substantially one-half of the length of belt l3 to obtain the beneficial results illustrated in Figures and 6, described hereinafter.

The belts I2, l3 each pass over a plurality of supporting rollers 38, 39, the ends of which are rotatably mounted in suitable bearings disposed on the pivoted cantilever supporting frame 30 and 3|, respectively. These frames 3|), 3| are pivotally mounted on, for example, .pivot shafts 30A, 3 IA respectively mounted on parallel spaced I beams 34, 35, which beams in turn are affixed to the forwardly extending chassis members 36, 31 of the distributor l8. These shafts 30A, 3|A may also support the innermost ones of the rollers 38. 38.

The cantilever frame members 30. 3| have their free ends supported in adjusted positions, using the fluid pressure cylinder piston assemblies 40, 4|, the movable piston elements of such assemblies 40, ll being connected respectively to the frame members 30. 3| through the corresponding forked supporting members 42, 43 which are pivotally attached to corresponding frame members 30, 3|.

The relatively stationary cylinder elements of the assemblies 40. 4| are attached to thecrossarm 41 which is rigidly secured to the chassis of the distributor by welded framework 49.

The flow of fluid, either compressed air or other fluids such as oil under pressure. may be controlled by suitable valves (not shown) located near the driver's seat 50 to thereby control the height of the outer ends of the cantilever frames 30, 3| and the corresponding conveyor belts l2, I! mounted thereon. The frames 30, 3| may thus be adjusted in position for travel either over the fields to be planted or for travel over highways of limited width.

In order to prevent undue vibration or the cantilever supported frame members 30, 3|, a shock absorbing means may be interposed between the frames 30, 3| and the chassis or the distributor In. For example, shock absorber means in the form of dashpot piston cylinder assemblies 88, 6| may have their respective piston elements connected to rods 62, 63 which are respectively pivotally mounted on the chassis of the distributor, the corresponding cylinder elements of the shock absorbing means 60, 6|

being connected to the corresponding frame members 30, 3| by rods 64, 65 which are pivotally mounted on such frame members 30, 3 Such pivotal mounting on the rods 62, 63, 64 and 65 allows pivotal movement of the frames 30, 3| about the shafts 30A, 3|A.

Power for driving the belts l2 and I3 is obtained from the prime mover 81, the gear shift 68 being controlled by, for example, an operator standing on the platform 89 to selectively produce a mechanical driving connection between the prime mover 61 and the belts I2, l3, or to interrupt such driving connection, as occasion demands. When the gear shift 68 is in one of its movable positions, the prime mover Bl drives the pulley I0 over which the driving belt 1| passes. The driving belt 1| passes also over the pulley 12 which is mounted on the same rotatable shaft 13 as is the pulley I4 and the gear 15. A belt 16 passing over the pulleys I4 and I1 is thus driven, the pulley 11 being mounted on the roller shaft 3|A to drive the belt l2 in the direction indicated by the arrow 2|. Similarly, the belt i3 is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow 20 by power transmitted from the gear 15 through the cooperating gear I8 mounted on the same shaft 19 upon which is mounted the pulley over which the belt 8| passes to drive the pulley 82 on the belt roller shaft 30A.

It is apparent that other mechanical arrangements may be provided to drive the belts |2, |3 outwardly, using the prime mover'Gl, and the specific arrangement as shown in Figure 7 may be considered typical of one of such arrangements which may be used.

In operation of the distributor, the truck coupled to the distributor is pushed through the field, using the distributor prime mover 8| which may be selectively coupled to the driving treads 82 through the gear shift 84, the gear shift 84 being controlled by an operator seated on the seat 50. The planting material on the truck is fed onto the platform I6, I! from where substantially one-half of such planting material is fed onto the outwardly moving belt |2, while the other half of such planting material is fed outwardly by the belt l3.

The effective lengths of the belts l2, l3 are of unequal lengths, i. e., the belt l2 has an effective length of one-half of the effective belt l3 to produce the results illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. In Figure 5, in the forward movement of the distributor III, in the direction indicated by the arrow 88. the planting material is distributed as indicated; then, in the reverse movement of the distributor I0, along the same path in the direction indicated by the arrow ill, the planting material is deposited along different lines even though the distributor retraces its original path. In other words, when the tractor moves in the direction indicated by the arrow 90, planting material is deposited in the rows 93, 94; then, in the return movement of the tractor, along its original path, planting material is deposited along the rows 95, 96.

W ile we have described above an arrangeme for distributing planting material onto the groimd, it is readily apparent that, if desired, th apparatus disclosed may be used for gatheringxmaterial from the ground. In such case, the dire tion of rotation of the pulley Ill is reversed by manipulating the clutch member 68 to thereby cause the belts l2 and I3 to move oppositely than that shown in Figure l, to cause the material loaded on the belts to accumulate on the platform I6, I! from where it may be lifted onto the attached truck. I

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made Without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifi-, cations as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. A material distributor comprising a vehicle having a material receiving chute forwardly and centrally disposed about its longitudinal axis, a truck push rod mounted on said vehicle and extending from said vehicle forwardly past said chute, said push rod having means mounted thereon for quickly attachably andf detachably connecting truckfrom which planting material is loaded into said chute, adjustably positioned cantilever frame members extending substantially laterally from said longitudinal axis and beine. pivoted on said vehicle below said chute, each of said frame members carrying oppositely movable conveyor belts to distribute material laterally from said vehicle, means mounting the inner ends of said belts to receive said material from-said chute, the length of one said belt being substantially equal to one-half the length of the other belt whereby the discharge end of said other belt is located twice the distance from said vehicle which said one belt extends for servicing different areas when the vehicle travels along and retraces With respect to the ground, and hydraulic shock absorbing means extending rearwardly between the ends of said boom members and said vehicle to absorb shock compression forces which otherwise may cause objectionable side sway of said boom members, each ofsaid boom members mounting conveyor belts, means mounting the inner end of each belt to receive material from said chute, the length of one of said belts being substantially equal to one-half the length of the other belt whereby the discharge end of said other belt is located twice the distance from said vehicle which said one belt extends for servicing different areas when the vehicle travels along and retraces the same path.

3. A material distributor comprising a vehicle having a material receiving chute, two oppositely traveling conveyor belts each having its upper material carrying surface moving outwardly and laterally in a direction extending substantially perpendicular with respect to the direction of movement of said vehicle, means mounting the inner ends of said belts to receive said material from said chute, the length of one of said belts being substantially equal to one-half the length of the other belt whereby the discharge end of said other belt is located twice the distance from said vehicle which said one belt extends for servicing difierent areas when the vehicle travels along and retraces the same path.

4. A material distributor comprising a vehicle,

having a material receiving chute disposed substantially on the longitudinal axis of said vehicle,

, adjustably positioned cantilever frame members extending substantially perpendicular from said longitudinal axis on opposite sides of said vehicle, means pivoting said frame members on said vehicle below said chute, each of said frame members carrying oppositely moving material conveyor belts to distribute said material laterally from said vehicle, the inner ends of said conveyor belts being disposed below said chute, means driving said belts with the material carrying surfaces thereof moving outwardly from said longitudinal axis, the length of one of said belts on one side of said longitudinal axis being substantially twice the length of the other one of said belts on the opposite side of said longitudinal axis whereby the discharge end of said other belt is located one-half the distance which said one belt extends for servicing different areas when the vehicle travels along and retraces the same path.

5. The arrangementset forth in claim 3 in which means are provided for selectively driving the material carrying faces of said belts either away or towards the vehicle.

6. The arrangement set forth in claim 4 in which said driving means includes means whereby the direction of movement of the material carrying faces of the belts may be selectively reversed.

7. The arrangement set forth in claim 1 in which said belts have their inner ends disposed below said chute, means for driving the material carrying face of said belts outwardly from said vehicle, said belts extending substantially perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal axis of said vehicle on opposite sides thereof, one of said belts having a length equal substantially to one-half the length of, the other one of said belts.

8. The arrangement set forth in claim 1 in which means are provided for driving the material engaging face of said belts outwardly from said vehicle, said means incorporating means whereby the direction of movementof said belts may be selectively reversed in unison.

9. In a mechanism of the character described, a vehicle having a material receiving chute, two conveyor belts each extending outwardly and laterally in a direction substantially perpendicular with respect to thedirection of movement of said vehicle, means mounting the inner ends of said belts to receive material from said chute, with the lengthof one of said belts being substantially equal to one-half the length of the other belt whereby the dleehom end of. said other belt is located twice the distance from eeid'vehicle which said one belt extends for servicing dliierent ereae when the vehicle travels elon: and retrecee the same path. 5

HENRY J. BALDWIN. ARTHUR N. BALDWIN- TETSUO MIEARA.

10 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

8 om'mn s'rums m'rmrre Number Name Date Mose -.."Auz. 13, 1907 Peterson Mar. 28,1918 Larsen Mar. 8, 1921 Torkinzton Aug. 12, 1924 Nelson Oct. 19, 1926 Carlson Sept. 13, 1932 Jackson June 8, 1943 Madeira Sept. 4, 1945 Brinhall Oct. 9, 1945 Miller Sept. 13, 1949 Hoover May 9, 1950 

